WO2001030209A2

WO2001030209A2 - Plate carrier and method of use

Info

Publication number: WO2001030209A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/029135
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Moon
Original assignee: John Moon
Priority date: 1999-10-22
Filing date: 2000-10-19
Publication date: 2001-05-03
Also published as: WO2001030209A3; AU1339901A

Abstract

A plate carrier (10) for carrying a plurality of plates (12) has a central elongate support (20) for supporting at least two dual-locking-chambers (40), each of the dual-locking-chambers (40) having two opposing locking portions (42). Each of the locking portions (42) includes a horizontal base support surface (44) and a cylindrical locking bar (46) that cooperate with a cylindrical concavity (79) of a locking end (72) of one of at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms (70) for pivotally locking each of the elongate plate support arms (70) to the central elongate support (20). Each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms (70) includes a plate support end (80) opposite the locking end (72). The cylindrical locking bar (46) enables the elongate plate support arm (70) to pivot between a horizontal position, in which the plate support end (80) is positioned to support one of the plurality of plates (12), and a vertical storage position.

Description

TITLE: PLATE CARRIER AND METHOD OF UδE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.

60/161,156, filed October 22, 1999, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/186,534, filed

March 2, 2000.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates generally to serving devices used in restaurants and similar locations,

and more particularly to a plate carrier that enables a waiter or waitress to carry and deliver a

plurality of plates to a table in a single trip.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART:

The following art defines the present state of this field: Roth, U.S. 1,167,934 teaches a dish carrier for carrying safely and conveniently at one time a

plurality of dishes holding food and drink. The device comprises a vertical central bar and a plurality of support strips fixedly attached to the bar.

Haller, U.S. 953,007 teaches a serving rack comprising a base frame having legs upon which the rack may rest, a vertical central bar and a double series of shelves attached to the bar.

Several patents each disclose a serving tray having a handle, a lower tray and an upper tray,

including Swett, U.S. 3,146,906, Barnes, U.S. 2,507,951, and Swift, U.S. 5,894,944.

Furthermore, several patents also teach a carrier having multiple collapsible arms to facilitate the storage, including Benedict, U.S. 300,755, and Horn, U.S. 593,889. Finally, several

additional patents teach a support device having a vertical central bar and a plurality of

support arms fixedly attached to the bar, including Brandenberg, U.S. 5,746,334, and Allison,

HI, U.S. 5,178,286. Design patents relevant to the invention include Warren, U.S. Des.

178,029, and Meepos, U.S. Des. 170,763.

The prior art teaches various serving devices and racks for carrying plates and the like.

However, the prior art does not teach a plate carrier for carrying a plurality of plates, the plate

carrier being designed to quickly and easily fold for storage, and also being designed for

quick and easy disassembly for cleaning. The present invention fulfills these needs and

provides further related advantages as described in the following summary. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the

objectives described below.

The present invention provides a plate carrier for carrying a plurality of plates. The plate

carrier includes a central elongate support for supporting at least two dual-locking-chambers,

each of the dual-locking-chambers having two opposing locking portions. Each of the

locking portions includes a horizontal base support surface and a means for pivotally locking

a locking end of one of at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms to the central

elongate support. Each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms includes a

plate support end opposite the locking end. The means for pivotally attaching enables the

elongate plate support arm to pivot between a horizontal position, in which the plate support

end is positioned to support one of the plurality of plates, and a vertical storage position.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a plate carrier having advantages

not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a plate carrier that enables a waiter or waitress to carry a

plurality of plates with the least amount of strength and effort.

Another objective is to provide a plate carrier designed to quickly and easily fold for storage. A further objective is to provide a plate carrier designed for quick and easy disassembly for

cleaning in a standard dish washer.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the

following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a

plate carrier having a plurality of elongate plate support arms in a horizontal position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof showing the plurality of elongate plate

support arms in a vertical storage position;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of a locking end of one of the elongate plate support

arms; FIGURE 5 is a bottom perspective view thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a top perspective view of a portion of a plate support surface of one of the elongate plate support arms;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the plate carrier; and

FIGURE 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of a hinge pivotally locking one of the

elongate plate support arms onto a central elongate support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a plate carrier 10 for carrying a

plurality of plates 12. As shown in Figs. 1-3 and 7, the plate carrier 10 includes a central

elongate support 20 for supporting at least two dual-locking-chambers 40, each of the dual-

locking-chambers 40 having two opposing locking portions 42. Each of the locking portions

42 includes a horizontal base support surface 44 and a means for pivotally locking a locking

end 72 of one of at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 to the central elongate

support 20. Each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 includes a plate

support end 80 opposite the locking end 72. The means for pivotally attaching enables the

elongate plate support arm 70 to pivot between a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, in which the plate support end 80 is positioned to support one of the plurality of plates 12, and a vertical storage position, as shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 1-3, and 7, the central elongate support 20 has an upper end 22, a mid-point

24, and a lower end 26. The central elongate support 20 is rigid and extends generally

vertically from a base portion 28 at the lower end 26 to support the at least two dual-locking-

chambers 40. In the prefεned embodiment, the plate earner 10 includes three of the at least

two dual-locking-chambers 40, the dual-locking-chambers 40 being formed at the upper end

22, the mid-point 24, and the lower end 26, respectively, of the central elongate support 20.

To facilitate transport of the plate carrier 10, the central elongate support 20 preferably

provides a first handgrip 30 between the upper end 22 and the mid-point 24, and a second

handgrip 32 between the mid-point 24 and the lower end 26. To further facilitate gripping of

the plate carrier 10, the first and second handgrips 30 and 32 preferably have a generally

round or oval shaped cross section that is shaped and sized to fit the hands of the user,

preferably having a diameter of between 1.5-2 inches.

As shown in Fig. 3, the central elongate support 20 and the dual-locking-chambers 40 are

preferably integrally formed of a single injected molded plastic piece, preferably in two

halves that are mirror images of each other. The two halves should be designed by those

skilled in the art to be of adequate strength to support the plurality of plates 12 and the food

being served thereon. The first and second handgrips 30 and 32 are preferably constructed

with a coefficient of friction that is high enough to prevent the plate carrier 10 from being accidentally dropped. Those skilled in the art can devise many coatings, tapes, or other materials, if necessary, to increase the coefficient of friction of the first and second handgrips

30 and 32 to make them easier to grip, but this is not necessary for the performance of the

plate carrier 10. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the central elongate support 20 is constructed of aluminum, steel, or other suitably rigid and sturdy material; however, due to its high strength, light weight, and low cost, molded plastic is prefened.

As described above, each of the locking portions 42 includes a horizontal base support

surface 44 and a means for pivotally locking a locking end 72 of one of at least two pairs of

elongate plate support arms 70 to the central elongate support 20. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3,

each of the locking portions 42 preferably includes a pair of vertical locking walls 48

connected by the horizontal base support surface 44. In this embodiment, the means for

pivotally locking is a cylindrical locking bar 46 that connects the pair of vertical locking

walls 48 above the horizontal base support surface 44.

As shown in Figs. 1-3 and 7, the plate carrier 10 further includes at least two pairs of elongate

plate support arms 70, preferably three pairs of the elongate plate support arms 70. Each of

the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 has a locking end 72 and a plate

support end 80. The locking end 72 of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support

arms 70 has a downwardly facing locking surface 74 and is shaped to removably engage one

of the locking portions 42 of the central elongate support 20 such that the one of the elongate

plate support arms 70 pivots between a horizontal position that is generally orthogonal to the central elongate support 20, and a vertical storage position. In the horizontal position, the downwardly facing locking surface 74 abuts the horizontal base support surface 44, thereby

supporting the weight of the one of the elongate plate support arms 70 and the one of the

plurality of plates 12 that might be placed upon the one of the elongate plate support arms 70.

In the preferred embodiment, as shown in Figs. 3-5, the locking end 72 of each of the at least

two pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 has a pair of vertical sidewalls 76 connected by

the downwardly facing locking surface 74, and further including an upwardly facing locking

surface 78 opposite the downwardly facing locking surface 74. The upwardly facing locking

surface 78 includes a cylindrical concavity 79 shaped to receive the cylindrical locking bar 46

of one of the locking portions 42. The cylindrical locking bar 46 cooperates with the

downwardly facing locking surface 74 to support the elongate plate support arm 70 in the

horizontal position. However, if the elongate plate support arm 70 is rotated to the vertical

storage position, the elongate plate support arm 70 can be easily removed from the locking

portion 42 by sliding the cylindrical concavity 79 out from under the cylindrical locking bar

46. Since storage space is scarce and cleanliness is critical in the food services industry, it is

important that the plate carrier 10 be easily folded and/or disassembled so that the plate

carrier 10 can be readily cleaned and/or stored.

To further increase the flexibility of the plate carrier 10, each of the at least two pairs of

elongate plate support arms 70 can be built to include a telescoping feature (not shown). Such a telescoping feature enables the length of each of the at least two pairs of elongate

plate support arms 70 to be customized according to the needs of the user.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the means for pivotally locking each

of the elongate plate support arms 70 to the central elongate support 20 is a hinge pin 50

through three plate support pivot arms 52 and two support pivot arms 54. In this

embodiment, the locking portion 42 provides a horizontal base support surface 44 that

functions in conjunction with the hinge pin 50 in the same fashion as described above. It is

worth noting, however, that the horizontal base support surface 44 is not required to actually be horizontal, and the term horizontal is merely descriptive of the upward support provided by the surface. As shown in the embodiment, the horizontal base support surface 44 is

actually angled to relieve the potential stresses exerted upon the hinge pin 50.

As shown in Fig. 1, the plate support end 80 of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate

support arms 70 has a plate support surface 82 shaped to support one of the plurality of plates

12 when the elongate plate support arm 70 is in the horizontal position. The plate support

surface 82 preferably includes a plurality of protrusions 83 shaped to prevent the one of the

plurality of plates 12 from sliding off the plate support surface 82. While we refer generally

to plates 12, the plate support surface 82 can also readily support bowls, cups, and other

cutlery and crockery. Furthermore, various accessory arms can be adapted to be mounted

upon the plate carrier 10 for carrying specialty items needed or desired by a waiter or

waitress. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the plate support surface 82 further includes at least one skid

resistant strip 84 attached to the plate support surface 82 to prevent the one of the plurality of

plates 12 placed upon the plate support surface 82 from sliding off the plate support surface

82. In the preferred embodiment, the at least one skid resistant strip 84 is constructed of

rubber or rubberized plastic, and includes a plurality of resilient locking rings 86, each of the

plurality of resilient locking rings 86 being attached to one of a plurality of pull fingers 88. In

use, the at least one skid resistant strip 84 is positioned over the plate support surface 82 and

each of the plurality of pull fingers 88 is pulled through one of a plurality of matching skid

plate apertures 89 until the resilient locking ring 86 is forced through the skid plate aperture

89, thereby locking the at least one skid resistant strip 84 securely onto the plate support

surface 82. The at least one skid resistant strip 84 can be readily removed for cleaning,

however, by simply peeling the at least one skid resistant strip 84 away from the plate support

surface 82 with sufficient force to force the resilient locking ring 86 back through the skid

plate aperture 89.

As shown in Fig. 1-3, the pair of vertical locking walls 48 of each of the locking portions 42

of each of the dual-locking-chambers 40 preferably further include first and second locking

apertures 90 and 92. As shown in Figs. 3-5, at least one of the pair of vertical sidewalls 76 of

one of the elongate plate support arms 70 includes a locking peg 94 extending therefrom

upon a resilient hinge 95. The locking peg 94 is biased outward to a locking position in

which the locking peg 94 mates with either the first or second locking aperture 90 and 92 to removably lock the one of the elongate plate support arms 70 into either the horizontal

position or the vertical storage position, respectively. The locking peg 94 can be depressed

by the user, against the bias of the resilient hinge 95, to unlock the elongate support arm 70,

thereby allowing the elongate support arm 70 to be pivoted to another position.

The base portion 28 is preferably shaped to support the plate carrier 10 upon a flat surface,

preferably in cooperation with the pair of elongate support arms 70 that are connected to the

lower end 26 of the central elongate support 20. As shown in Fig. 8, the base portion 28

preferably further includes a female mating indentation 100 shaped to removably receive and

mate with a male mating portion 104 of a detached stand 102. The detached stand 102

preferably includes a means for supporting the detached stand 102, such as a plurality of legs

106 necessary to support the plate carrier 10 when the female mating indentation 100 is

mounted upon the male mating portion 104 of the detached stand 102. In an alternative

embodiment, the detached stand 102 is affixed to a surface by fasteners such as nails or a

powerful adhesive. In use, the detached stand 102 is positioned adjacent the kitchen, and the

waiter or waitress removably mounts the plate carrier 10 on the detached stand 102, thereby

facilitating the loading of the plate carrier 10 with plates 12 of food. The plate carrier 10 is

then easily removed and carried to a table of customers for distribution of the plates 12 of

food.

As shown in Figs. 1-3 and 7, the plate carrier 10 preferably includes three dual-locking-

chambers 40, the three dual-locking-chambers 40 being located at the upper end 22, the mid- point 24, and the lower end 26. In this embodiment, the central elongate support 20 provides

a first handgrip 30 between the upper end 22 and the mid-point 24, and a second handgrip 32

between the mid-point 24 and the lower end 26. The first and second handgrips 32 have a circular or oval shaped cross section and are sized, shaped, and textured to enable the waiter

or waitress to easily grasp the first and second handgrips 32. The dual-locking-chamber 40

located at the upper end 22 has a first downwardly facing grip support sidewall 60 extending

radially about the central elongate support 20. The first downwardly facing grip support

sidewall 60 cooperates with the first handgrip 30 to provide a first secure gripping location 64. The dual-locking-chamber 40 located at the mid-point 24 has a second downwardly

facing grip support sidewall 66 extending radially about the central elongate support 20. The

second downwardly facing grip support sidewall 66 cooperates with the second handgrip 32

to provide a second secure gripping location 68. The first and second secure griping

locations 64 and 68 provide the waiter or waitress to easily and securely grasp the plate

carrier 10 with a minimum of strength or effort.

In an embodiment shown in Fig. 8, each of the dual-locking-chambers 40 is slidably mounted

upon the central elongate support 20. In this embodiment, a screw 110 through the dual-

locking-chamber 40 and one of a plurality of adjustment apertures 112 is used to lock the

dual-locking-chamber 40 to the central elongate support 20, thereby enabling the dual-

locking-chamber 40 to be adjusted to different positions on the central elongate support 20. In use, each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 is inserted into one of the locking portions 42 of one of the at least two dual-locking-chambers 40 such that the

cylindrical locking bar 46 fits within the cylindrical concavity 79. Each of the at least two

pairs of elongate plate support arms 70 is pivoted downwards until the downwardly facing

locking surface 74 contacts the horizontal base support surface 44, thereby supporting the

elongate plate support arm 70 in the horizontal position. Thus positioned for use, the plate

carrier 10 can either be rested directly upon a flat surface such as a counter, or mounted upon

one of the detached stands 102 described above, and the plate carrier 10 can then be loaded

with the plurality of plates 12 filled with food. The waiter or waitress then grasps the plate

carrier 10 by the first and second secure gripping locations 64 and 68 and carries the plate

carrier 10 out to the customers to deliver the plates 12 of food. The shape of the plate carrier

10, and the location of the first and second secure gripping locations 64 and 68 allows the

waiter or waitress to lift the plate carrier 10 with the mechanical advantage of keeping his or

her elbows close to his or her side, or even resting them against his or her stomach or hip.

At the end of the day, each of the elongate plate support arms 70 is pivoted about the

cylindrical locking bar 46 from the horizontal position to a vertical storage position. In this

position, the plate carrier 10 takes up little space and can be easily stored. Upon occasion,

each of the elongate plate support arms 70 can be removed from the central elongate support

20 and the entire assembly can be placed in a dish washer for cleaning, an important feature

in an industry in which cleanliness is critical. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A plate carrier for carrying a plurality of plates, the plate carrier comprising: a central elongate support having an upper end, a mid-point, and a lower end, the central elongate support being rigid and extending generally vertically from a base portion

at the lower end, the central elongate support providing a first handgrip between the upper

end and the mid-point, and a second handgrip between the mid-point and the lower end; a dual-locking-chamber formed at the upper end, the mid-point, and the lower end,

each of the dual-locking-chambers having two opposing locking portions;

three pairs of elongate plate support arms, each of the three pairs of elongate plate

support arms having a locking end and a plate support end, the locking end of each of the

three pairs of elongate plate support arms having a downwardly facing locking surface;

each of the locking portions having a horizontal base support surface and a means for pivotally locking the locking end of one of the elongate plate support arms to the central

elongate support, the one of the elongate plate support arms pivoting between a horizontal

position that is generally orthogonal to the central elongate support, and a vertical storage

position, the downwardly facing locking surface abutting the horizontal base support

surface when the one of the elongate plate support arms is in the horizontal position; and the plate support end of each of the three pairs of elongate plate support arms having a

plate support surface shaped to support one of the plurality of plates when the elongate

plate support arm is in the horizontal position.

The plate carrier of Claim 2 wherein the dual-locking chamber located at the upper end has a first downwardly facing grip support sidewall extending radially about the central

elongate support, and wherein the first handgrip is sized and shaped to allow the first handgrip to be easily grasped, the first downwardly facing grip support sidewall cooperating with the first handgrip to provide a first secure gripping location; and wherein the dual-locking chamber located at the mid-point has a second downwardly

facing grip support sidewall extending radially about the central elongate support, and

wherein the second handgrip is sized and shaped to allow the second handgrip to be easily

grasped, the second downwardly facing grip support sidewall cooperating with the second

handgrip to provide a second secure gripping location.

A plate carrier for carrying a plurality of plates, the plate earner comprising: a central elongate support having an upper end, a mid-point, and a lower end, the central elongate support being rigid and extending generally vertically from a base portion at the lower end; at least two dual-locking-chambers, each of the dual-locking-chambers having two opposing locking portions;

each of the locking portions having a pair of vertical locking walls connected by a

horizontal base support surface and a cylindrical locking bar;

at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms, each of the at least two pairs of

elongate plate support arms having a locking end and a plate support end, the locking end

of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms having a pair of vertical

sidewalls connected by a downwardly facing locking surface and an upwardly facing

locking surface;

the upwardly facing locking surface of each of the locking ends having a cylindrical

concavity shaped to receive the cylindrical locking bar when the downwardly facing

locking surface contacts the horizontal base support surface, thereby supporting the

elongate plate support arm in a horizontal position that is generally orthogonal to the

central elongate support;

the elongate plate support arm pivoting about the cylindrical locking bar from the

horizontal position to a vertical storage position without interference from the locking

portion; and the plate support end of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms having a plate support surface shaped to support one of the plurality of plates when the elongate plate support arm is in the horizontal position.

4. The plate carrier of Claim 3 further comprising:

first and second locking apertures in at least one of the pair of vertical locking walls;

and

a locking peg extending from at least one of the pair of vertical sidewalls of one of the

elongate plate support arms, the locking peg being biased outward to a locking position in

which the locking peg mates with either the first or second locking aperture to removably

lock the one of the elongate plate support arms into either the horizontal position or the vertical storage position, respectively.

5. The plate carrier of Claim 3 wherein the central elongate support has a generally round or

oval shaped cross section.

6. The plate carrier of Claim 3 wherein the plate support end of each of the at least two pairs

of elongate plate support arms further includes at least one skid resistant strip attached to

the plate support surface to prevent the one of the plurality of plates placed upon the plate

support surface from sliding off the plate support surface.

7. The plate carrier of Claim 3 wherein the base portion includes a female mating indentation shaped to removably accept and mate with a male mating portion of a detached stand, the detached stand having a means for supporting the detached stand, the detached stand functioning to support the plate carrier when the female mating portion of the plate carrier is mounted onto the male mating portion of the detached stand.

8. The plate carrier of Claim 3 wherein the central elongate support provides a first handgrip

between the upper end and the mid-point, and a second handgrip between the mid-point

and the lower end, and wherein the plate carrier includes three dual-locking-chambers, the

three dual-locking-chambers being located at the upper end, the mid-point, and the lower

end, the dual-locking-chamber that is located at the upper end having a grip support

surface.

The plate carrier of Claim 3 wherein the central elongate support provides a first handgrip between the upper end and the mid-point, and a second handgrip between the mid-point and the lower end, the first and second handgrips are sized and shaped to allow the first and second handgrips to be easily grasped;

wherein the one of the at least two dual-locking-chambers is located at the upper end

and another of the at least two dual-locking-chambers is located at the mid-point; wherein the one of the at least two dual-locking-chambers located at the upper end

has a first downwardly facing grip support sidewall extending radially about the central

elongate support, the first downwardly facing grip support sidewall cooperating with the

first handgrip to provide a first secure gripping location; and wherein the another of the at least two dual-locking-chambers located at the mid-point

has a second downwardly facing grip support sidewall extending radially about the

central elongate support, the second downwardly facing grip support sidewall cooperating

with the second handgrip to provide a second secure gripping location.

0. A method for carrying a plurality of plates, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plate carrier comprising:

• a central elongate support having an upper end, a mid-point, and a lower end, the

central elongate support being rigid and extending generally vertically from a base portion at the lower end;

• at least two dual-locking-chambers, each of the dual-locking-chambers having two opposing locking portions;

• each of the locking portions having a pair of vertical locking walls connected by a

horizontal base support surface and a cylindrical locking bar;

• at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms, each of the at least two pairs of

elongate plate support arms having a locking end and a plate support end, the

locking end of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms having

a pair of vertical sidewalls connected by a downwardly facing locking surface and an upwardly facing locking surface;

• the upwardly facing locking surface of each of the locking ends having a

cylindrical concavity shaped to receive the cylindrical locking bar when the

downwardly facing locking surface contacts the horizontal base support surface,

thereby supporting the elongate plate support arm in a horizontal position that is

generally orthogonal to the central elongate support; and

• the plate support end of each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support

arms having a plate support surface shaped to support one of the plurality of plates

when the elongate plate support arm is in the horizontal position; b) inserting each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms into one of the locking portions of one of the at least two dual-locking-chambers such that the cylindrical locking bar fits within the cylindrical concavity; c) pivoting each of the at least two pairs of elongate plate support arms until the

downwardly facing locking surface contacts the horizontal base support surface, thereby supporting the elongate plate support arm in the horizontal position; and

d) pivoting each of the elongate plate support arms about the cylindrical locking bar

from the horizontal position to a vertical storage position.